El Niño likely to become strongest on record

A rapidly intensifying El Nino event is gaining strength in the equatorial Pacific and poised to become the most powerful ever recorded, with ocean temperatures climbing far faster than expected, China’s National Climate Center warned on Tuesday.

The center projects that sea surface temperatures will continue to rise with fluctuations, peaking around November to December and forming a super El Nino event, before gradually decaying through the spring and summer of 2027. The center said that this event is characterized by rapid onset, exceptional intensity, and potentially significant climate impacts worldwide.